HotSpot
Archive

Read about the effort to confirm the appearance and identification criteria of
the Red-shouldered Vanga,
Calicalicus rufocarpalis
, first described from two female specimens collected in 1947 near Toliara,
south-west Madagascar. See photos of endangered and newly described birds from
remote areas of the Usambara Mountains in Tanzania and elsewhere on the dark
continent. This attractive and informative website deserves significant
surf-time. Check it out by pointing your browser to
http://www.africanbirdclub.org
.

Kevin Welch's Penguin Page offers information on each of the 17 species of
penguins, including audio and video files. The site is well organized and easy
on the eyes. Did you know the Little Blue Penguin is only 15 inches and about 2
pounds, while the Emperor Penguin averages 45 inches and 65 pounds? Brush up
on penguins by pointing your browser to
http://www.vni.net/~kwelch/penguins/
.

This information-packed site has a species account section; a program
which allows estimation of population change for any species, on any BBS route;
ongoing research projects on migratory birds; photographs, songs, identification
tips; and much more. Brown-headed Cowbirds really are declining in some areas
of Louisiana!
Learn more by pointing your browser to
http://www.mbr.nbs.gov/bbs/bbs.html
.

The attractive website of the Oriental Bird Club is worth
visiting solely for the photographs and paintings, but
there is much more. Thinking about birding in Sumba, Thailand, or
Beidaihe, China? How about Malaysia? If so, the OBC's sales page offers
trip reports. The site also features articles from the OBC
bulletin -- learn about the declining Red-faced Malkoha of
Sri Lanka in the current issue. Explore the Orient by pointing your
browsers to
http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/
.

The LABIRD mail list recently has been buzzing with debate about the
identification of birds seen on the last LOS pelagic trip. If all that email
isn't enough, Tony Palliser's pages from down under may be just the place to
get your pelagic fill. To visit, point your browsers to
http://www.zip.com.au/~palliser/
.

Louisiana birders were recently sent scurrying to Cameron Parish in search of a
reported LONG-TOED STINT. The verdict's still out as to whether it was a stint
or just an interesting and unusual juvenile Least Sandpiper. The bird in
question is long gone now, but you can find a Long-toed Stint, Least
Sandpipers, and a host of other shorebird information on the pages by Dick and
Jean Hoffman -- The Shorbird Watcher. Check it out by pointing your browsers to
http://pw1.netcom.com/~djhoff/shorebrd.html
.

Gulls often present the most intriguing and difficult identification problems
in the bird world. There is a small but growing cadre of websites offering
interesting photographs of gulls at all ages
and in various plumages. Steve Hampton's GULL IDENTIFICATION PAGE is one such
site. Supplement your P.J. Grant by visiting this useful site:
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/6181/gulls.html
.

Scoping a fast-flying flock of ducks from 500 yards, in the mist, in bad
light. Been there before, right? These aren't the most conducive conditions in
which to make a positive identification of species. This USGS site by Bob Hines
offers logical and helpful pointers to help sort out ducks at a distance. Hone
your duck identification skills by selecting the flock of bufflehead, above, or
point your browsers to
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/tools/duckdist/duckdist.htm
.

This site provides an overwhelming wealth of information -- an incredible
amount of data -- about the natural resources of the North American Great
Plains. Covering even a small fraction of the pages at this site can take many
hours, or much of the information can be downloaded in the conveniently
formatted compressed files to enjoy offline and at one's leisure. Direct your
browser to
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/index.htm
.

"Forty-seven years after the last report and nearly 130 years after
the only specimen was collected, the Cherry-throated Tanager,
Nemosia rourei
, has been rediscovered in Espirito Santo State, Brazil." -- Sound enticing?
Read this acount and others amid spectacular photographs of brilliantly colored
tropical species, including Coppery-chested Jacamar, Blue Manakin and Hoary
Puffleg at the well-designed, attractive site of this U.K.-based club. Direct
your browser to
http://www.neotropicalbirdclub.org/.

David Sarkozi's website is a rich source of birding information for anyone planning to visit the Upper Texas Coast, which includes Harris County, Fort Bend County, Brazoria County, Galveston, Chambers County, and Jefferson County. Click on the logo above or point your browser to http://www.texasbirding.net/.